Come What May
by smallbeauty
Summary: Sephiroths back but this time hes fighting for a different side as a new evil arises.... AerisCloud TifaSephiroth YuffieVincent SheraCid


Tifa sighed with boredom as she sat alone in her garden. It had been three years  
  
since meteor, three long years since the fall of Sephiroth and so much and yet so little had  
  
changed. After the final battle in the northern crater the group went their separate ways  
  
promising to keep in touch.  
  
Vincent, to the surprise of no one was the first to go. He snuck off during the  
  
middle of the night after they had celebrated, he left no note or sign to as where he had  
  
gone but that was Vincent's style. Yuffie had been a little upset after the disappearance  
  
but no one pursued the solemn ex turk.  
  
Red was the next to go, he returned to his home in Cosmo canyon to be with his  
  
grandfather. Barrett left to reunite with Marlene, who was currently still staying with  
  
Elmyra. Cloud settled down near Kalm and where he made a living by being the towns  
  
jack of all trades, he helped with anything from birthing a neighbors pregnant cow to  
  
installing the mayors new bath tub.  
  
Cait Sith went back to Reeve who began working on his newest project; neo  
  
Midgar. Reeve had devised alternate ways to supply power such as wind, he had made an  
  
invention that harnessed the power of hurricanes with now produced power for electricity  
  
around the world.  
  
Yuffie had opted to stay with Tifa for a while saying that she wasn't ready to go  
  
home just yet. Tifa built a house in a new town made up of mainly refugees on an island  
  
south of Midgar. The temperature was a little cooler than Costa de sol so it was spring all  
  
year round. Yuffie helped with the decoration of the midsized yellow house and after  
  
much begging Tifa gave in and supplied her with her own room. Cid had come home to rocket town to be with Shera (though he would never admit it).  
  
Yuffie Tifa and Aeris had been best friends throughout the journey and now that  
  
they lived together Tifa and Yuffie had become like sisters. Their house was surrounded  
  
by a large garden with a pond in the backyard. In the center of the garden was a bench  
  
swing hung from a cherry tree with the words  
  
'for Aeris'  
  
inscribed followed by  
  
'the very last angel to ever walk the earth. Aeris, we miss you.'  
  
Cloud had never gotten over Aeris, he still loved her so much. 'Cloud.' Tifa's  
  
heart ached for her childhood friend. It had been three long years and she still had not  
  
told him her true feelings. Tifa sighed again and went back inside.  
  
"Yuffie?" she called upon entering the house. 'she should be around her its almost  
  
8:00' Tifa thought to herself as she mounted the stairs. There was a note attached to  
  
Yuffie's door.  
  
Dear Tifa, I had to go back to Wutai for a little bit they need my approval on a new building. I'll be back within a week. By the way, Cloud called.  
  
Hope to see ya soon, Love always, Yuffie  
  
A year ago Yuffie's father had died leaving her in charge of her family's empire. She  
  
technically was not really a ruler until she reached her 21st birthday according to ancient  
  
custom. Yuffie had matured a lot over the years; her once short hair now flowed all the way to her waist. Her once scrawny teenage body had now developed into the body of a  
  
woman. She was now only an inch shorter than Tifa and they shared all of their clothes  
  
including bras, a point which Yuffie often gloated about. Yuffie had matured on the  
  
inside as well the death of her father had made her wiser and although she was still the  
  
same perky girl she now had much more insight.  
  
Yuffie wasn't coming home for a week. What should she do now? Cloud had  
  
called. Maybe she should visit him. And finally tell him how you feel. A small voice in the  
  
back of her head said. Yeah, maybe she would tell him how she felt, tonight. ###################################################################  
  
Tifa got off her chocobo and shivered. She knew she should have brought a  
  
jacket. It was dark out and the chilly wind of autumn were beginning to pick up.  
  
"Cloud?", Tifa called as she made her way through the store and to the backyard where her old friend had often hung out. "Cloud?" she called again this time louder. She  
  
let herself into the enclosed backyard. She wore what she wore almost everyday now, a  
  
pair of low cut jeans and a tank top only this time she had a sheer blue shirt over it. She  
  
found him there his back towards her kneeling.  
  
"Cloud?" she said softly. He didn't look at her or even respond to hearing his  
  
name and for a second she thought perhaps he hadn't heard.  
  
"This is the last one." The blond man whispered. Tifa walked closer to observe  
  
him twirling a delicate white flower in between his fingers. It was one of Aeris's flowers.  
  
He continued, " all the other ones have died without her here to care for them."  
  
Tifa didn't know what to say to that. Her friend was clearly still hurting and she wanted  
  
nothing more than to take his pain away but he would never let her.  
  
"She was the last good thing on this worthless planet, the last thing to live for.  
  
And that bastard killed her." He said bitterly.  
  
The last statement shocked Tifa. The last good thing? They had all tried so hard to save  
  
the planet didn't that make them all good things?  
  
"Cloud there's plenty to live for, the whole group is here for you. I'm here for  
  
you." Tifa cursed herself mentally for letting a note of desperation sneak into the last  
  
part. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He flinched away like her touch burned  
  
him. He finally turned to face her.  
  
"Don't you get it? I don't want you here. Always trying to make me feel better,  
  
trying to make me forget her, always trying to take her place. I don't want you here."  
  
Cloud said smiling bitterly. Tifa winced as the words pierced her leaving waves of  
  
stinging pain in their wake. He continued.  
  
"All through the trip you tried to make me notice you, jumping around in your  
  
skimpy little outfits looking like a fool and slut. I don't want you near me. You will  
  
never matter the way she did and no matter what you do you will never be her so just go  
  
back to don conero's where you belong whore. You shouldn't even be standing here not  
  
while someone like Aeris has to sacrifice themselves." He stood and came closer Tifa  
  
subconsciously tried to back away.  
  
"What's wrong Tifa? I thought you wanted to be close to me." He snarled as he  
  
grabbed her wrists roughly and pulled her close to him. She was fighting back tears now,  
  
not only from the emotional pain she was going through but also because she could feel  
  
her bones straining underneath his mako enhanced grip. She cringed visibly.  
  
"Cloud," she pleaded her voice wavering with unshed tears. "your hurting me."  
  
"I wonder how much it hurt when his sword pierced through her body." He  
  
replied cruelly his hot breath stinging her face. He clutched her wrists tighter, crushing  
  
them together. Tifa bit her lip to keep from crying out. What was going on? She  
  
wondered. Cloud was hurting her. It seemed so surreal Cloud would never hurt her.  
  
Suddenly there was a snap as the bone in her left wrist shattered. Clouds eyes widened as  
  
if truly seeing her for the first time. He backed away horrified. Tifa looked down and her wrist that was bent at an unnatural angle.  
  
"You... y-you hurt me." She stuttered in complete shock. He shook his head as  
  
if to deny what had just took place. Fear was clearly displayed in her deep burgundy eyes.  
  
She took a step backwards tears now streaming down her face.  
  
"Tifa!" he said urgently trying to make her stay and listen. He reached out to  
  
touch her and she flinched clutching her injured wrist subconsciously. "Tifa listen to  
  
me!" He begged. She stared at him blankly. He could have sworn something dark seemed  
  
to swirl in her wine colored eyes but then it was gone.  
  
"You wish it was me." She said sounding soft but certin.  
  
"what?" he questioned hearing the sorrow that lay unmasked in her voice.  
  
"that day. when she died...... You wish it had been me." She said with  
  
a tone of finality. She stared at him for a second before she turned and fled. Her hair  
  
flowing wildly behind her tears dripping down from her chin. He moved to follow her  
  
when he heard a sickening crunch. Looking down he saw the small white flower that had  
  
been lost in the commotion lying crumpled and torn. He stooped at reached to pick the  
  
flower up gingerly.  
  
"what have I done?" he whispered "what have I done." #############################################################  
  
Cloud paused. Her chocobo was still here so that meant she must be somewhere  
  
around here. He cursed himself as it began to rain. Even with mako she was much faster than him. 'Tifa' he thought 'if anything happens to you I will never be able to forgive myself. I already don't deserve to be able to forgive myself.' He sighed as the rain began to come down more heavily. ################################################################  
  
He's right. A small voice said in the back of Tifa's head. You are worthless.you  
  
don't deserve to be loved. She sniffled wiping underneath her eyes with her right palm. It  
  
was a pointless motion since it was raining hard and the liquid that she had wiped from  
  
under her eye was quickly replace by the rainwater cascading down her entire body.  
  
'I don't belong here.' She thought her feet pounding against the pavement as she  
  
ran. ' I shouldn't be alive.' Suddenly she smiled. The bridge was only a little way from  
  
here soon she could fly. She closed her eyes a single tear sliding down her cheek.  
  
'Soon I will fly.' She thought. ##################################################################  
  
A horrible thought struck Cloud's spiked blond head as he searched for his oldest  
  
friend. 'What if she..' He shook the notion out of his head. 'She wouldn't.' He  
  
thought firmly trying desperately to convince himself she wouldn't take her own life.  
  
"Hold on Tifa, I'm coming." Cloud whispered as he sprinted onward through the  
  
pouring rain. 'Please' he prayed desperately. 'Please let me make it in time.' #################################################################  
  
Tifa's knuckles turned white as she clutched the slippery railing. She slowly  
  
moved herself over the iron bars that caged her in from freedom. She was now hanging  
  
on the opposite side of the railing ready to plunge into the raging waters below her. She  
  
closed her eyes dreamily. Soon it would be all over. Her shirt clung to her cold body but  
  
she didn't feel it, she didn't feel anything anymore. Slowly she loosened her grip preparing for the jump, preparing to finally fly. Tifa inhaled deeply and let go. Just as she was about to fall an arm onto her and pulled her upwards back to the bridge, back to safety. Tifa turned angrily to her savior but stopped short when she say his face.  
  
"You.." she whispered her eyes going wide with surprise and fear. Everything around  
  
her began to spin crazily in a few seconds she welcomed the dark sanctuary of  
  
unconsciousness. #######################################################################  
  
Cloud sprinted to the bridge just in time to see a tall figure fade away holding an  
  
unconscious Tifa. Long silver hair was visible as well as a large elegant blade fastened to  
  
the figures waist. Cloud's mouth was set in a grim line. Sephiroth was back. ************************************************************************  
  
Sorry I kinda rushed with the ending but anyway tell me what you think!  
  
By the way I don't own the characters of final fantasy seven.  
  
Love always,  
  
Jenn 


End file.
